By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
Rodney Guin’s resume is stout. His program at Haughton was excellent for two decades and included a deep playoff run by a guy named Dak Prescott. When Guin crossed the river and entered the private school sector, he won a state title at Calvary Baptist.
He doesn’t need much help when it comes to leading a group of young men in pursuit of a ring, but a winning culture sure doesn’t hurt.
“It’s a big deal,” Guin said. “The (players) expect to win.”
In just about every sport, the Calvary Cavaliers not only hope to win a state championship, they expect it. Football is no different. Guin helped continue and enhance that mindset with the 2020 state crown.
Guin, and consequently the players, also take pride in Calvary’s annual choice to play the biggest and the best non-district opponents early in the season.
Calvary opens the regular season against perennial state title contender Logansport before a matchup with 5A Captain Shreve in Week 2. The Cavaliers have a date with the other member of the city’s most intense rivalry, Byrd, in Week 3.
If the Cavaliers take their lumps early, it’s for one reason only.
“Our season starts the second week of November – that’s what we’re geared up for,” Guin said. “Everything else is like preseason.”
The Cavaliers, who moved up to Division III in the LHSAA’s Select classification, aren’t without question marks in 2022. They have big shoes to fill at quarterback — the position many value as the most important in the sport.
Gone is Landry Lyddy, the state’s reigning Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year. His replacement? That’s to be determined.
Two players — junior Bryce Carpenter and sophomore Abram Wardell — are deep into the competition to be the No. 1 guy.
“We’re going to have to see them in the jamboree and scrimmage,” Guin said. “We have OCS and Union Parish. They will be well-tested early.”
The good news, Guin is geeked about the rest of the squad.
“We can be really good on defense, and we’re going to have to be,” he said. “It’s very important and I’m very pleased what they’ve been doing. And our skill guys and our lines are as good as we’ve had since I’ve been there. We just have to get that quarterback position ironed out.”
Senior linebacker Cade Bedgood and safeties Hutch Grace (junior) and Landon Sylvie (senior) are expected to lead the Cavs’ stout defense.
“We have some athletes and we are excited to see them run around,” Guin said.
No matter who emerges behind center, it’s clear, once again, the Cavaliers’ talent and that ring-or-bust mentality are going to be tough to handle come November.
Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com
Calvary, Evangel head list of district, state champions since 2012
